Many people who like to play golf would prefer to walk at least part of the way during a round of golf for exercise, but they find that if they walk all the way around the nine or eighteen holes that they play, it is often too fatiguing, and can adversely affect their game. If the golf player uses one of the conventional motorized golf carts to ride in across the golf course, so as the player can ride between points of play on the course, payment of rental is normally required, and the cart in the nature of things must be driven all the way around the course to return it to where it was picked up. On the other hand, if the golfer chooses to walk around the course, either carrying his bag himself or applying it to one of the numerous available forms of bag tote carts whether of the common unmotorized pull type, or of a more expensive power driven type, the golfer must also walk all the way around the course since it is only the golfer's club bag that is on a wheeled conveyance and the conveyance involved is not in any way adapted for riding by the player.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a self propelled multi-speed cart in the nature of a low level, low profile, battery driven type vehicle, especially suited for golf course use, that not only carries the golf bags of one or two golfers playing together, but also is arranged to serve as a conveyance for moving one or two golfer's, playing together, in standing relation on the vehicle between positions of golf play, or optionally, where the golfers want to walk between positions of golf play, one of the golfers can trail the cart behind him in walking toward the next point of play in a manner similar to the use of unmotorized bag tote carts, with the cart having a forwardly extendable auxiliary control arm that may be grasped by the golfer walking in front of same for controlling the driving action of the vehicle that he is leading.
Another principal object of the present invention is to provide a battery driven golf cart type vehicle which can easily be mounted and safely ridden in a standing position by one or two golfers playing together, with one of the golfers driving the vehicle using a foot actuated control lever for starting, driving, and stopping same, and a hand wheel for steering the vehicle, and with the second player, when present on the vehicle, merely riding alongside the player that drives the vehicle.
Still a further principal object of the present invention is to provide a self propelled golf cart vehicle of the battery driven type in which the vehicle has a low level passenger standing platform and bracing hand holds arranged for ease of mounting and dismounting the vehicle from the rear of same and safe riding on the vehicle, that is adapted to accommodate up to two riders standing side by side on the vehicle, and that accommodates full control of the vehicle movement by a single rider or one of two riders where a second rider is present.
Another major object of the present invention is to provide a simple low cost vehicle drive arrangement for a self propelled golf cart type vehicle which permits ease of control and operation of the vehicle when the golfer is to be carried by same, in addition to his bag, and which also accommodates walking by the golfer ahead of the vehicle, with the golfer leading the vehicle in a manner similar to a manual pull type golf bag tote cart, and with the vehicle controlled so that it drives to automatically keep pace behind the pedestrian golfer leading same when moving to the next position of golf play, and without requiring the golfer's attention for this purpose.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a simple, low level, golf cart drive and control system for golf cart type vehicles adapted to carry one or two golfers in a standing side by side relation thereon, that is arranged to allow either a single such rider, or one of either of the two riders, to operate the vehicle from either riding position on the right or left hand side of the vehicle.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple low cost reliable and low profile drive and control arrangement for golf carts and similar vehicles that utilizes a minimum of inexpensively available mechanical and electrical components for effecting full control of the vehicle movements.
Still other objects of the present invention are to provide a self propelled golf cart arrangement that accommodates connection of the vehicle to the golfer's automobile, trailer fashion, for trailing of the cart behind the golfer's automobile to transport same between point of storage and point of use, or vice versa, as, for instance, between the golfer's home and the golfer's golf course, or alternately to provide a golf cart transporting arrangement that accommodates the mounting of the cart on the rear of the automobile completely off the ground for being fully carried by the automobile.
Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.